Paul in the woods

As far as I'm aware Woodsure are part of HETAS which are a government appointed and funded body. So to most people I doubt there's much distiction between Woodsure and DEFRA. HETAS say they "work closely with government" so I expect the new regs were drafted with input from HETAS (it would be strange if they weren't) so what you were told be Woodsure seems a bit misleading.

I've got a few plastic 5l petrol cans knocking about and only some of the spouts fit the aspen cans.

Which way do the cones grow, point up or hang down?

Whilst some of the comments are a bit over the top it's a bit naive to think Woodsure would say anything else. They're getting plenty of cash from hard working folk and I would expect by now their advice to be a bit more accurate. From a consumer point of view they also seem a strange organisation as they appear to be a trades body advertising wood and an enforcement body. The proof of the pudding will be how many unregistered traders are put out of business, my personal experience of trading standards has been very poor so I'll not hold my breath.

Size wise it'll split quite big logs, my instructions say 600mm diameter. But, the rails can't really cope with holding such a large log on the splitter as it splits. Bits of wood can get caught in the rails and damage them. Looking at most of the horizontal electric splitters this seems to be a common design flaw. If I was only splitting large logs I'd look at one similar to Mr Haironyourchests

Whilst I agree with that I think the decline of greenfinches is down to people not keeping their bird feeders and water clean and spreading Trichomonosis about. https://www.bto.org/our-science/projects/gbw/gardens-wildlife/garden-birds/disease/trichomonosis

You need to be careful when using an extension lead as you risk damaging the motor if the power drops too much. https://forest-master.com/ufaqs/operating-a-machine-on-an-extension-lead-over-10-metres/ I have the Forest Master 8 Ton, FM16TW-TC. It's fine, still working ok but not without fault. The paint wasn't great when delivered and the stand isn't up to much and a weld snapped. Design wise it isn't great for large diameter logs but fine for most things.

This idea any use? https://bushcraftuk.com/community/threads/kindling-splitter.152983/

Cone is too small for Noble fir (they point upwards and can be 10" long). I also think Noble fir leaves tend to be a bit more rigid but hard to tell in those pics.

I know the Scottish rules have diverged from the English ones but thinning under 10cm dbh still seems to be exempt. Details here: https://forestry.gov.scot/support-regulations/felling-permissions Interestingly the Scottish rules cover dead trees:

I don't have any contractual obligations with my woodlands, I manage them for a bit of firewood and nature's benefit mostly. There are all sorts of competing goals though. For me there are all sorts of risks to the trees, from Hymenoscyphus fraxineus, invasive plants etc to pests such as grey squirrels and deer. Ivy isn't really much of a concern and, if anything, probably prevents some deer damage. As you're after hard facts, do you have any to back up your thoughts? Any records going back 10, 20 or more years of that small spinney? Talking of which, the tall trees in the middle of the photo that look a bit like beech, I note one has lost it's top but there doesn't appear to be much ivy growing up it. I expect there's more serious problems exposure, disease and over spray from the farm.

As has been said, the ivy you're referring to is unlikely to be an invasive species, i.e. something introduced to this country that becomes a pest (such as Japanese knotweed). The ivy in you photos looks like common Hedera helix ssp. helix. (Ref: https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/plants/wild-flowers/ivy/) The first thing that occurred to me with your two recent photos was how little ivy there was on the other trees. I own a couple of pieces of woodland and it has far more ivy in it. I am also in a fairly windy area so each year several mature trees blow over, some have no or little ivy on them, some are covered. I could not conclude ivy is or isn't a problem. I'm also a bee keeper and ivy is very important to my bees as it produces a late crop of nectar which enables them to over winter without me having to feed them. It's perhaps one of the only crops produced by the woodland round here. I can understand people wanting to clear it to inspect trees or if you're growing timber trees etc. Which brings me to my main point in that the ivy will be down to whoever is managing the trees. I'd be more than a little annoyed if anyone started hacking back the ivy on my trees. Perhaps you should raise you concerns with the owner of the trees you're worried about? As few more random observations. With regard to the differing shapes of the leaves. I know in my woodland the deer don't browse off the lower leaves. But when ivy falls from higher up the leaves are often eaten by the deer so I would assume they are less bitter/poisonous. There are also several papers written about the possible effects of climate change on ivy growth. This would seem to be what you are after, a quick google should show them up.

I have assumed not (i.e. dead trees don't need a felling licence in England), but as you say I can't find anything clearly stating dead trees don't count. From this document: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/876641/Tree_Felling_-_Getting_Permission_-_office_print_version.pdf It states: "In any calendar quarter you may fell up to 5 cubic metres (m3) of growing trees on your property without a felling licence, as long as no more than 2m3 are sold." So, if they are completely dead they are not growing trees. I am also only talking about England. I would also add, does 3 trees make much difference? 20cm dbh would be say 10cm mid tree diameter? This table shows you could take out quite a few: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/826786/TimberVolumeCalculator.pdf You could split the work over two quarters, so 31 March then 1 April. I'd also take photos of the works, especially the dead trees if you need to rely on them being dead.

What makes you think there is a new species of ivy which is causing problems? Have you spoken so somewhere like Kew? I would guess that woodlands would have been more heavily managed in the past and ivy cut out, now it's just left or even left on purpose as more people realise how good it is for wildlife.

I only process logs for us but I'm a bit happier I pulled out the old oil boiler a few years back. I'm just a bit worried the light fingered wood wombles will appear again as elec/oil/gas/wood prices rise.

What length logs do you need? That dual splitter says max 22" log, so that would be 11" when you're doing two logs? My fire takes 20" logs and they're much easier to stack at that length to season. I'd also like larger and more robust rails down either side of a splitter to hold the logs on once split so you can split the pieces again.

No power source. I could buy a petrol splitter but it would need to be row legal and I'd need something to tow it. Just pointing out that axes/mauls have their place for some.

I have a decent electric splitter meself but this year I've been using my cheap maul as that's easier than moving the logs several hundred meters to the splitter. Anyway, interested to hear the comments on the X series axes although it seems to be mostly down to personal preference. I suppose I need to find somewhere selling the whole range and try a few practice swings in a shop....

Looks like ash with a bad case of canker. (Often occurs if the ground is often wet).

4mm file sounds right but what saw do you have, it should tell you in the instructions? Also, as another domestic firewood cutter, I'd echo the comments about not just relying on the PPE but also concentrate on what you're doing. Chainsaw gloves for example will not do much to stop you cutting your fingers if you put them near a moving chain. They offer kickback protection. Be careful if you buy the leather gloves, they can get very slippery if they get wet. Also, if the saw is corded, watch out for the cord. I sharpened a very blunt saw for a friend and then realised they had half cut through the cord in various places.

A quick google shows up Yeoman stoves, something like this is very similar: Yeoman Devon stove reviews uk WWW.WHATSTOVE.CO.UK Read reviews for the Yeoman Devon stove or post your own review on Whatstove

Why? I thought the oils are one of the benefits of softwood? I thought creosote in the flu was the result of burning any wood that's too wet and/or without enough air?

Wait 'till you try splitting it. The knotty stuff is some of the toughest wood I've ever tried to split! I have a similar sizes saw and it seemed to cope fine on Scots, it was running the 91VXL chain. I try not to take the depth gauges down too far if I'm logging up something big. Is your chain definitely getting blunt? I find the bar can pinch slightly in bigger wood, knocking in a plastic wedge in the top of a cut when half way through a log helps. I've found the chain can get blunt when processing ash that's been down a while, I just take a hand file with me and give it a quick sharpen every so often. I also thought full chisel chains are more prone to blunting.

I wonder if you could 'deliver' 2m3 but take a cube back to get round the regs? On a more serious note, with the higher heating bills we are all going to face next winter I would think everyone's time would be better spent trying to encourage people to accept 2m3. Also keep an eye out for when the consultation starts about regulating even large loads.

I just looked at your previous posts. 😉 As for the logs, I agree with others. Ash, syc, a bit of beach and other stuff. I can't see any obvious softwood. Looks like arb waste that's been left in lengths and then recently logged up. It's been down a while as some of the barks comming off. Should be fine firewood once dry and seasoned. If you split a few random logs and test the moisture then you'll know what you're dealing with. It'll dry a bit over winter if you can keep it dry and get the wind through.